June 5 Minor League Report/June 6 Preview

After another Blue Jays win and, what people are calling an excellent start to the draft (more on that later), the Blue Jays are having a great present and future!

Buffalo Bisons 5, Toledo Mud Hens 2

In an afternoon tilt against the Toledo Mud Hens, Deck McGuire was masterful in his third start for the Buffalo Bisons, going seven innings and allowing just three hits (including a solo home run), one walk and striking out 10 batters to tie his career high. Ryan Tepera allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings and Bobby Korecky picked up a save by pitching to two batters. The offense pitched in with 11 hits including two each from Darin Mastroianni, Jared Goedert and Ryan Goins who drove in two runs. Matt Tuiasosopo drove in a pair with a double in the first inning.

Player of the Game: Deck McGuire

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4, Bowie Baysox 7

I probably shouldn’t have posted the Fisher Cats podcast yesterday because the winning streak they were on since I interviewed play-by-play man Tom Gauthier on Saturday came to an end. Starter P.J. Walters cruised along until the fourth and then he ran into trouble, allowing three runs. He ended up keeping the Baysox to three runs in 5 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and one walk with two strikeouts but the bullpen let him down with Tyler Ybarra surrendering two runs, Arik Sikula allowing one and Dustin Antolin allowing another. Melky Mesa was the offensive star of this one, hitting two solo home runs and adding a third hit, scoring all three times. Mike McDade also hit a solo home run among his three hits and Jorge Flores went 2/4 to push his batting average to .389.

Player of the Game: Melky Mesa

Dunedin Blue Jays 7, St. Lucie Mets 4

The Dunedin Blue Jays win again? What a strange and unusual even this year. For the 41st time this season, the D-Jays pulled off a win. They fell behind 4-2 in the top of the sixth but pulled ahead in the bottom half thanks to a barrage of extra-base hits including doubles by Marcus Knecht, Christian Lopes and Kevin Patterson and a home run by K.C. Hobson. In the eighth, Emilio Guerrero turned a one-run lead into the three-run lead with a two-run home run for his second hit of the day. Christian Lopes was 3/4 with two doubles and scored twice. Ben White scattered 11 hits over his five innings and was charged with four runs but the bullpen was outstanding. Efrain Nieves contributed another 2 1/3 scoreless innings while Wil Browning and Danny Barnes completed the game.

Emilio Guerrero

Player of the Game: Emilio Guerrero

Lansing Lugnuts 3, South Bend Silver Hawks 7

Bunches of runs in the middle innings for the first-place Silver Hawks gave the Lugnuts fits and they couldn’t overcome the deficit. Starter Chase De Jong allowed five runs (only one was earned) despite allowing just four hits (including a three run homer) and two walks in four innings with five strikeouts. Two Matt Dean errors (playing third base) figured into the runs being unearned. Adaric Kelly allowed two more runs but Roberto Espinosa was excellent in three scoreless innings and Scott Silverstein finished the game off, striking out two in his inning of work. Dawel Lugo continues to be the team’s hottest hitter, going 2/4 while L.B. Dantzler made his hit count, slashing a two-run double and taking a walk. Santiago Nessy was 1/3 with a walk, as was Ian Parmley.

Dawel Lugo

Player of the Game: L.B. Dantzler and Dawel Lugo

DSL Blue Jays 9, DSL Brewers 5

The DSL Jays had a 10-hit barrage and, as you’ll commonly see in very low levels of baseball, 14 walks among them. Shortstop Jesus Severino had two hits and a walk while 19-year-old first baseman Enmanuel Moreta was 2/4 with two walks. Francisco Rodriguez was 1/3 with two RBI and three walks and Antony Fuentes, 17, was 2/3 with a double, two RBI and two walks. 17-year-old Miguel Almonte was 1/2 with a pair of walks. On the mound, Jose Nova was charged with all of the runs except for one and Yonardo Herdenez picked up the win with three scoreless, one-hit innings. Jairo Rosario, who is already 20 and pitched in the DSL last year, went 1 2/3 innings, striking out two and could be headed to the GCL once they get going at the end of this month.

Player of the Game: Antony Fuentes and Yonardo Herdenez

June 6 Preview

Buffalo Bisons (28-29)

The short-handed Buffalo Bisons plan on activating lefty Sean Nolin from the DL for tonight’s 7:05 PM game (on MiLB TV) against the Toledo Mud Hens but Robbie Ray, who has been outstanding in the International League (but not so much in the majors this year) will be on the mound for the Mud Hens, so you might want to tune in to catch an up and coming prospect for the opposition.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (23-36)

At home against the Erie Sea Wolves, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats send the X-Man, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, to the hill against an undetermined starter at 7:05 PM.

Dunedin Blue Jays (41-18)

At 6:30 PM, Matt Boyd makes his second Dunedin start since being sent back down from New Hampshire. He has an outstanding 0.49 ERA to go with his 4-0 record. He’ll face the St. Lucie Mets’ Gabriel Ynoa who has a 5-2 record and 3.88 ERA with 13 walks and 39 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings.

Lansing Lugnuts (28-31)

In another 7:05 PM game against the South Bend Silver Hawks, the Lansing Lugnuts send righty Alberto Tirado to the mound with a 1-1 record and a 5.40 ERA. The Silver Hawks haven’t announced their starter yet.